Fighting the Battle
by Dr. Michaela Quinn
Summary: Angela realizes just how lonely her home and her life are without Jonathan around and she stands her ground to fight for custody of eight year old Jonanthan against her recently remarried ex-husband Michael.


**A/N: I know in the Season Two episode "**_**Custody"**_** Michael decided not to take custody of Jonathan, but for this story I'm changing that.**

"Sam?" Tony asked. "Samantha?" After a long pause she looked up.

"Yeah dad?" She questioned. He sighed.

"What's the matter? You have been quiet all morning. You haven't even called Marcie in three days." Tony leaned on the table. Samantha looked down at the table and frowned. She stuck a fork in her scrambled eggs.

"I guess I just miss Jonathan." Samantha replied. Mona walked in the back door.

"Be careful when you use that name." Tony stated.

"What name?" Mona asked.

"Jonathan." Tony muttered.

"Yes," Mona said and sat down at the table next to Samantha. Angela walked into the kitchen and was out of Mona's eyeshot. "I'm still not sure how Angela could send Jonathan to California with Michael." Angela stood at the table in front of Mona, Samantha and Tony with her arms crossed.

"Do you honestly think it was easy for me to give Jonathan up? He's my only son and I sent him all the way across the country. My baby is in California and I won't get to see him grow up." Angela stated.

"Christmas break and summer vacation; that's the only time I get to see my grandson anymore." Mona said.

"Mother-" Angela started to say. Samantha stood up and hugged Angela. Angela grabbed a hold of her tightly. "Oh Sam." Angela started to cry, which is a rare occasion for her; but she couldn't keep the tears in when she thought about the loss of Jonathan.

"I miss him too Angela." Samantha said.

"Come on Sam, you have to head to school." Tony remarked. Samantha looked up at Angela who nodded at her.

"You go on. I'm sure Marcie needs somebody to sit with her on the bus." Angela said as she wiped her eyes. Samantha picked up her backpack.

"Bye dad. Bye Angela, Mona." Samantha walked outside.

"That's a sweet girl you have there." Angela said and Tony nodded. Mona walked into the living room without saying a word.

"I'm sorry Angela. I know how upset you get when we talk about Jonathan." Tony said.

"He is my son Tony." Angela chuckled. "I don't mind talking about him. I just hate it when mother blames me for him leaving."

"Well-" Tony started to say, but Angela glared at him and he didn't finish his statement.

"I couldn't tell Jonathan no if he wanted to go see his father. Michael promised things would be different for Jonathan's sake." Angela replied.

"Angela, when was the last time you talked to Jonathan?" Tony questioned. Angela took off her glasses. She paused and looked at him. She walked over to the coffee pot and got a cup.

"I spoke to him when he was here for Christmas." Angela replied.

"That's the last time you saw him. When was the last time you spoke to him?"

"When he was here for Christmas. Every time I call Michael, he says that Jonathan can't come to the phone." Angela stated.

"That's strange." Tony paused. "Why don't you take a business trip out there? You can go see Jonathan and get rid of some of that uneasy feeling." Angela smiled.

"I just might do that." Angela responded.

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When she got off the plane in Los Angeles, Angela pulled out the instructions that Tony had given her. She was supposed to take a taxi to the airport and then go pick Jonathan up from school.

"_I made it. I really made it to Los Angeles, and I'm going to see my little boy."_ Angela thought with a huge smile. She walked outside of the airport carrying her suitcase. After she hailed a cab it was only a few minutes until they were on the road to Jonathan's school. She had never been there before and Jonathan didn't speak much about it when he was home for Christmas but she knew that it had to be something nice. When the cab pulled up in front of the iron gate Angela knew something was going on. This didn't look like any public school she had seen. It more or less reminded her of Montague; the boarding school from her past. How could this be? Jonathan was supposed to be with his dad. Michael wouldn't put his own son in boarding school. Would he? What was going on? There were a lot of questions Angela was determined to find the answers for after she found Jonathan.


End file.
